First Day Of The Rest Of Our Lives
by FairytaleBeliever123
Summary: The Battle is over and the Wizarding World is at peace but Harry Potter however is still on his path of discovery and love after McGonagall invites him to return to Hogwarts to teach Defence Against The Dark Arts in September. With the custody of a baby and the reappearance of his arch-enemy, how will this story play out? NON- EPILOGUE COMPLIANT FairytaleBeliever123 xx


**Hey Guys, here is a little Drarry love for all you Potterheads! Hope you are enjoying MyHogwarts! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Harry Potter, all of the charcters and places belong to J.K. Rowling. The image I used for this story beongs to Kiraranekochan ** **whose work can be found on Deviantart (very talented). **

Hogwarts was eerily quiet; no one who had remained after the previous day's battle had yet woken to the rays of the morning sun. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the Dark Lord Vanquisher sat on the banks of the Black Lake staring at the wrecked tomb of Albus Dumbledore. He felt lost; seven years of his life had been spent thinking about, plotting against and fighting Voldemort and now he had no purpose. He had snuck out of Gryffindor tower after Ron finally fell asleep and escaped to the solitude of the lake.

Ginny had pounced earlier that evening. She had retreated to the Tower after hours of comforting her stricken mother for some sleep but having spotted Harry reading by the fire she had launched herself at her ex-boyfriend.

* * *

"_Harry!" A pair of pale, freckled warms wrapped around his neck and a head of long, curly ginger hair buried itself in his chest, breathing in his scent as Ginny's muscles relaxed and she sighed happily as she embraced her ex-boyfriend._

"_Oh, hi Ginny…" Harry mumbled, fearing the conversation he knew was imminent._

"_It's over, he's dead! I am so glad you're safe, I've been so worried. I listened to Potterwatch all the time!" This made the raven-haired boy feel even guiltier as Ginny explained her dedication during the previous year. A thing confirmed by her many rebellions against Snape._

"_Thanks Ginny but I'm fine really, I just wish all those people didn't have to die for me! That's the worst part…" This was true, the loss of Remus, Tonks, Snape, Fred, Mad-Eyed Moody, Dumbledore, Sirius, the other order members and even of his parents weighed heavily on his soul. The thought of little Teddy growing up as he had, alone with no parents chilled the blood in his veins and made him shiver in horror._

"_Harry! You and your hero complex! It wasn't your job to keep them safe, it was their choice to fight against evil, and for your information, I did not need protected either! I love you and I just wanted to be with you, and now we can!" Harry let out a sigh, he had been expecting this conversation but he was afraid, not even Ron and Hermione knew his secret. _

"_Ginny, I…I have something to…em, tell you…"_

"_Harry James Potter, did you find someone else, you promised you wouldn't and we would be together forever and…"_

"_Gin! Gin! I didn't find anybody else, when would I have had the time? I just thought a lot about myself while we were searching for the horcruxes and I thought about how I'd only really ever liked two girls and even then I'd never really cared for the physical side of the relationship. I realised I only really wanted the companionship in either of those relationships..." This was true; he even almost failed to get a date to the Yule Ball…._

"_and I thought about my obsession with members of the Weird Sisters and the Holyhead Harpies...and I think… well no, I know that I…I'm gay!" He didn't mention it but certain boys in his year had almost recently attracted his attention, and in the case of a certain blond, his obsession had been clear for the entirety of his school life._

"_Wait what? Harry, you are what? I don't understand, I thought you loved me, you arrogant toerag!" This is what he had feared; he had no idea of the wizarding world's perspective on homosexuality and hurting Ginny's feelings felt awful. The Weasley family had always accepted him as one of their own and he truly did love Ginny as a younger sister, his fear of her famous bat-bogey hex didn't make matters any easier either._

"_Gin, I'm so sorry! I didn't lie, I was just so wrapped up in the war, I'd never really thought about it…" Ginny attacked him with a cushion, whacking him repeatedly over the head muttering obscenities as she did as he tried to guard himself with just his bare arms._

"_GIN! Leave him alone…" Ron's voice burst across the room and Harry turned to see Hermione and him standing at the bottom of the staircase, surprise clear in their expressions but joined thankfully by a softness that Harry recognised as acceptance._

"_Ronald! I'm your sister; you should be sticking up for me!"_

"_Ginny, I understand why you are upset but Harry can't help who he is, come on Harry let's go to bed!" This was the most understanding Ron had ever been to Harry and he was certainly glad of it as he escaped Ginny's clutches and followed Ron up the stairs to bed with Hermione wrapped her arm around his waist and giving him a reassuring squeeze._

* * *

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by the sounds of someone approaching and sitting down beside him. Professor McGonagall sat down with poise and straightened out her robes, looking surprisingly composed for 5 am. She looked over at the boy empathetically and smiled comfortingly, reaching over she lifted up his chin and wiped away the tears he didn't realise he'd been crying.

"Professor?" He choked out.

She looked into his emerald eyes so fraught with emotion and said it exactly the right thing, "None of it's your fault, Harry dear. You did what you had to to save a nation which stole your childhood and I'm proud of you as are your parents and all your friends and Albus! You are so brave."

Then Harry did something he never dreamed of doing and would probably never do again, he launched himself into the Professor's arms and cried, for all the dead, for his lost childhood, for the pain he caused Ginny and for the life he would never have now and for his helpless little Godson. McGonagall wrapped her arms around him and held the boy who had never had mother to do so, rubbing his back and rocking the grief-stricken Harry.

Eventually, he untangled himself from her arms and muttered a "Sorry Professor!" and Minerva chuckled.

"It's ok, Harry, we all need a good hug and a cry sometimes!" He wiped his eyes and smiled up at her gratefully.

"Now, down to business dear boy! I would like to know if you would like to return to Hogwarts next year as our new Defence Professor?" Harry started surprised at the offer but completely overjoyed, Hogwarts had always been his home and to be able to stay would be amazing. During the year, he had dropped his desires to be a Auror, hunting bad guys was not what he thought it would be and now he just wanted a quiet life that would be all his own and the corridors of Hogwarts promised just that.

"Really, Professor? I didn't even finish school!" McGonagall outright laughed and exclaimed,

"Why Harry, I do believe you have plenty of experience fighting against the dark arts and you have even taught it before! I'll catch up on seventh year spells you may have missed over the summer, while you help clear up Hogwarts?"

Harry stuck out his hand to the Professor, "It's a deal!"

* * *

That's how the Boy Who Lived found himself a week later dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight white tank top shovelling broken brick and remains of the castle into a wheelbarrow while the Professors casted intricate spells to rebuild the castle to its former glory, room by room. Usually for Scotland in the summer, the sun was beating causing a punishing heat upon his back and sweat to drip from his scarred forehead.

Ron was across the courtyard dressed in similar attire and performing the same actions. The Weasley clan (excluding Ginny, who was rightfully still a bit peeved with Harry) had been very accepting of Harry, laughing when they learned he had been afraid of rejection pointing out to Harry that Charlie, the second-oldest Weasley child, was in fact also gay. Although, Harry hadn't announced his sexuality to the Wizarding Community as a hole (God knows, he could do without the publicity) he was more content in himself than he had ever been before.

Harry had also been surprised to learn that due to Remus and Tonks' deaths, he had become the primary guardian of one Teddy Remus Lupin and had vowed to make the child experience all the love he'd never had and make sure he knew everything about his parents.

The child was spending the time Harry worked with his grandmother Andromeda, but the elderly woman was not able to offer full-time support for the boy so he was to live with Harry in Hogwarts once the school year began and Harry himself was currently staying with Andromeda and gathering stories of Tonks to tell the tiny baby as he grew.

He heard a scuffle from over where Ron was working as he lifted a particularly large rock into the wheelbarrow, due to the intricacy of the spells being cast to repair the castle, magic could not be used to clean up, making the job so much harder. He pulled the tank top over his head and mopped his forehead with the item, dumping it too in the wheelbarrow before turning to see what the noise was all about as he heard a shout of,

"But Professor, he was a death eater!" He saw Ron glaring at an equally as angry Draco Malfoy over Professor Sprout's shoulder. He chuckled before walking over forgetting about the bareness of his chest.

"Potter!" Sprout announced as she saw him approaching, "Now, I won't have any trouble you and Mr Malfoy are to be Professors together next year and I expect you to be thus behave appropriately in each other's company!"

Harry was too busy scanning Malfoy's body to worry about starting a fight, there had been too much of it the past year anyway. The boy like Harry had foregone a top in the summer sun and Harry could see that he had filled out nicely in his year of servitude. The blonde's lips were full and inviting and his blond hair hung loose around his face…

"HE is going to be a Professor! Have you gone mad, woman?" Ron's voice broke through his thoughts and he shook his head scattering the thoughts, this was his former arch-enemy not some boy to be ogled!

"Yes, Mister Weasley, Mister Malfoy is to be the new Potions Professor and I would thank you not to speak to me in that tone!" Harry turned to look at Malfoy again whose grey eyes were on Harry making him shiver under their scrutiny. He stuck out his hand for Malfoy to shake,

"Congrats, Malfoy! If we are going to be working together perhaps you come help me out in my section and leave Ron to get on with his work? Truce?" Malfoy smiled (a rare sight for Harry) and shook Harry's hand.

"Truce," He confirmed, "and perhaps that would be a good idea, Potter." He said glancing again at Ron's fuming form before following Harry back to his section.

Although Harry got a right talking to from that night in the Three Broomsticks while Hermione watched on timidly, not wanting to have to choose a side between her boyfriend and her best friend, Harry stuck up for his actions and for the rest of the summer clean-up Malfoy and Harry became a team.

* * *

Due to this new alliance, the two former enemies slowly became friends, chatting good-naturedly during their work and often having lunch with a huffing Ron in the Three Broomsticks or the Hog's Head. Harry's feelings grew for the blond boy grew each time they talked and he could feel himself falling for the boy who had been his enemy for so many years and who he had obviously judged to quickly before. The boy was beautiful with angular features and chiselled physique and Harry felt that he just couldn't compare with his friend, but worst of all Harry was convinced Malfoy was straight.

It was during one of these lunches, that Ron had to miss due to a date with Hermione that Harry finally asked the question that had been on his mind the whole of the summer,

"Malfoy, I don't mean to be rude but I…I wanna ask you…I…Are you…"

"Harry, just ask for Merlin's sake!" Harry sat in shock and stared at his new friend, this is the first time he had referred to him as any other than Potter and the sensation of his heart leaping in his chest was slightly worrying as Harry was sure Malfoy could not return his affections.

After a few moments, Harry finally started again,

"Draco," he began taking the former's lead, "I just wanted to know… Why did you join the Death Eaters? I was there, that night on the Astronomy tower and I know you couldn't kill Dumbledore, you didn't want to, it wasn't in you so I don't understand…" he trailed off a little ashamedly at asking such a personal question.

Draco sighed and thought for a moment, "Harry, if you had a chance to save your parents that night years ago, even if you knew that the method was wrong would you take it?" Harry nodded, "Well, after the battle in the Ministry in fifth year, my father fell out of Voldemort's favour and my family was shamed. The Dark Lord was angry and forced himself on our home and threatened out family if I did not agree to carry out his bidding to redeem my family. I love my parents, they may be bigoted and spiteful but they raised me and loved me and they are all I have in the world, I don't have friends like the Weasleys or any family who aren't involved in the Dark Arts and who are willing to talk to me. To be honest, you are my only real friend at the moment…"

And at that moment Harry fell and that was it, he knew there was no escaping his feelings as Draco's head sunk into to his hands and Harry moved across to his side of the booth to comfort the boy as he knew that both his parents (who he had tried so hard to protect) had been sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss.

* * *

Harry was lying on his bed in his chambers playing with a quaffle, dinner had been and gone but Harry was not in the least bit tired. His window was open and the cold October wind was swirling round the room but he didn't mind. He loved the sense of freedom the air brought and this way he look watch the stars twinkling and make a wish. He sat up to look the window and began the phrase, whispering,

"Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."

He never got to make his wish however as a certain Professor Malfoy (aka, what he was about to wish for) burst through his door.

"Merlin! Draco, will you ever learn to knock?" He exclaimed good-naturedly, smiling at his friend.

"You weren't doing anything untoward, were you Potter?" Draco asked, pulling a suspicious face. Harry chuckled and punched him lightly in the arm as he sat down beside the raven-haired boy. This resulted in a playful tackle and a lot of laughing. Harry managed to pin Draco before awkwardly coughing and sitting up and asking (in an attempt to be subtle),

"So, em… what do I have to thank for this late night visit?"

Draco held out a couple of letters for him. He'd gotten into the habit of collecting Harry's post as the Professor's mail didn't come at breakfast like the students.

"You've got one from your awful cousin and one from the Weaselette, probably begging you to get back together with her, yuck!"

Harry chuckled but reprimanded his friend, "Don't call her that Draco, it isn't nice!"

Draco stuck out his tongue and began to speak; only to be interrupted by Teddy's wailing through the wall. Harry got up and went into the next room and picked up the seventh-month old with bubble-gum pink hair which immediately turned black cuddling the wailing baby to his chest as he fetched a bottle. Draco followed him into the baby's room cooing at his second cousin.

"Hey, pretty baby but really Harry, I have to be nice to both Ron and the Weaselette, I mean I can tolerate Hermione!"

"Yes Draco, all my friends have to get along!" Harry said as he fed the baby in his arms, making silly faces.

"To be serious, Harry, why don't you get back together with her? She clearly loves you, you can see it in her eyes and she is pretty gorgeous, well for a Weasley!" Harry knew this was his chance to explain, he hadn't yet told anyone but the Weasley's and Hermione about his sexuality, trying to keep it out of the papers.

"I don't like her like that, never really did, and she has never asked anyway…" This was true after the threats had disappeared she had simply embarked on a mission to acquire a new gay best friend as Charlie was so far away and so he had taken to avoiding her anyway, he may be gay but he hated shopping with women. All bat-crazy!

"You never liked her? I find that hard to believe you dated for months!" Again, true.

"Draco, don't hate me please…" He knew Draco had been brought up differently than the Weasleys and was afraid of losing the companionship of the only person his age in the castle staff or of Draco guessing that Harry was in love with him and being disgusted and weird around Harry.

"I could never hate you!"

"I'm gay." The best way forward was to blurt it out, plus he had Teddy in his arms and Draco would never hurt Teddy.

"What?"

"I'm gay."

"No, I got that part. It's just I never thought…" _Here we go_, Harry thought, brace yourself for rejection and so he stated coldly,

"It's fine you can leave now."

"Harry… It's not like that. I'm gay too."

"What? Really?" Well, that really was a surprise; Harry had always thought Draco would end up marrying Pansy Parkinson or some equally as disgusting pureblood witch.

"Yeah, I haven't really told anyone yet and I take you haven't either as the prophet hasn't advertised it to the world." Harry laughed and nodded as Teddy finished his bottle and Harry placed him back in his crib.

"Our secret?"

"Our secret."

* * *

It was the annual Christmas Eve Party and the staff were all celebrating as very single one of the students had returned this holiday season and the only child in the vicinity, Teddy, was being babysat my Molly Weasley in the Burrow and Harry wouldn't be collecting him until Christmas Dinner the next day which Draco had also been invited too.

Ever since he discovered that Draco too was gay, Harry was finding it even harder to resist his feelings but was worried he would be rejected and their budding friendship would be destroyed. He was currently very slightly tipsy (ok, maybe not so slightly) on Firewhiskey and was dancing to Last Christmas with Minerva. Draco was across the room talking animatedly with a portrait of Snape who had on a Santa hat. Harry had to laugh at the sight was tempted to believe that portrait Dumbledore had forced it onto him earlier in the evening.

The song finished and Harry bowed to McGonagall before making his way towards Draco to ask him to dance just as Draco began to talk towards him a smirk on his gorgeous features. They met in the middle and Harry began his question just as Flitwick burst out laughing,

"My dear boys, you are under a lovely bit of mistletoe, I trust you know what that means?" Harry stared into Malfoy's wide eyes, his heart thumping loudly in his chest and his throat began to dry and he was considering laughing it off and pulling Draco over to dance when Draco leant up and kissed him chastely on the lips before laughing and walking off to dance. Harry stared after him, stricken before making his excuses and heading to the bathroom, where he collapsed.

Draco obviously didn't feel the same if he was able to brush it off so quickly, he sat there and cried for a few moments before collecting himself. If he didn't head back soon, Draco would guess something was wrong and that would be terrible. So, he brushed himself and headed back to the party settling on the idea that the Firewhiskey at least was free.

* * *

It was Valentine's Day and so the students in third year and above that been allowed to visit Hogsmeade and Draco and Harry had decided to accompany them to the quaint little village. The past few months had been torture trying to move on from Draco with no access to a rebound and trying to maintain a friendship with the blonde at the same time. So as you can guess so far it hadn't worked. He had been writing to Hermione (the only one who knew of his feelings) for advice but she was currently so happy with Ron that her advice wasn't in the least bit helpful, such as;

"_Our culture promotes two unhelpful 'myths' about relationship. The first is that we will fall in love with Mr/s Right, and then live happily ever after. Well I have and so have Fleur and our parents and Weasleys BUT not everyone does."_

They walked into Honeydukes which was swarming with students but was as welcoming and as exciting as when he was fifteen. Draco immediately ran off and found as many sweets as he could with Harry trying to keep up and chuckling trying to find some small he could give Teddy, who was by now definitely eating solids. Finally he managed to catch up with Draco who had found a Harry Potter shaped chocolate figure,

"Oh, Merlin!" He choked out between giggles, "I have to get the Weaselette, some form of consolation prize!" Harry snatched it from his grip,

"No way! That is not happening!" Draco snatched it back.

"Please Harry!" This resulted in a tug of war, with Harry winning and stating with a tone of finality,

"NO." But then Draco pouted. Pouted! Those gorgeous lips Harry had been fantasising about for ten months formed the most tempting pout had ever seen on another human being and his revolve crashed and burned. He glanced around at the sheer volume of students in the shop before dropping the figurine and grabbing Draco by the wrist dragging him out of the shop and down the road to a chorus of,

"Harry! What the hell do you think you are doing?!" But he didn't stop until they reached the shrieking shack and he broke down the door pulling Draco inside.

"Harry, what is this all about…?" Harry took in the rosy cheeks from the cold and the rosy red lips of his love, before grasping those cheeks with his hands and planting his lips on Draco's drowning out the blonde's protests.

He pulled back quickly, realising what he had done.

"Oh, Draco! I'm sorry, I just I love you and…I'm just sorry!" He went to leave but was grasped by the wrist as Draco pulled him in for another passionate kiss which seemed to last forever, warming every fibre of Harry's being and making his heart go crazy as he struggled to get as close to the other man as he could.

Eventually, Draco pulled back and leant his forehead against Harry's, "I love you too, you idiot!" He whispered before leaning in for another kiss but stopped on the journey and asked frightened,

"Wait, isn't this place haunted?"

Harry laughed, "Nope that was just Teddy's dad."

Chuckling at Draco's confusion, he pulled him in again revelling in the feeling of his love's lips against his.

**Thank you for reading, please review!**


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